FRANCHISE ANALYZER

Dairy Queen

In 1940, J.F. McCullough was an ice cream manufacturer working on a formula for what would be the first soft-serve ice cream. When he sampled his new concoction at one of his customers’ shops, the turnout was so impressive that he decided to start his own store based around his popular new frozen dessert. In 1944, McCullough sold the first Dairy Queen franchise. Dairy Queen’s menu expanded beyond soft serve ice cream to include other frozen treats along with some hot food items. Today, there are around 6,000 Dairy Queens around the world.